Displaying items by tag: Biomass

Mexico: Regenera, a subsidiary of Cemex, has launched a pilot project at its Broquers Ambiental plant in Querétaro to transform the city’s organic waste into alternative fuel using a drying process known as ‘biosecado’. This initiative makes Querétaro the first zero waste municipality in Mexico, according to the company. The plant now processes almost 90% of the municipality’s waste, transforming over 8000t monthly into biomass to reduce the amount of material sent to landfill.

Vice president of urban solutions at Cemex Mexico, Antonio Balmori, said "This project that we started today at our Broquers Ambiental plant excites me very much because it will take the city of Querétaro to the next level in waste management, where we will seek to take advantage of 100% of the urban solid waste generated in the municipality."

US: National Cement is upgrading its Lebec cement plant in California to make it carbon neutral. The upgrade involves a transition to limestone calcined clay cement (LC3) production. The producer will also substitute fossil fuels with locally-sourced biomass, including pistachio shells, in cement production. Lastly, a carbon capture installation will remove 950,000t/yr of CO₂ from the plant’s flue gases.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement plans to launch a fleet of 100 trucks to convey alternative fuel (AF) to its Ibese cement plant. The Daily Independent newspaper has reported that the producer expects the fleet to increase the plant’s supply of AF by 50%. The vehicles will collect waste biomass from local communities. Dangote Cement has also donated 100,000 100kg bags to facilitate collections.

Canada: Lafarge Canada will receive a supply of 300t/yr of sewage sludge solids from Capital Regional District (CRD) to mix in topsoil used in rehabilitation at its former Cassidy aggregates quarry in British Columbia. The Victoria Times Colonist newspaper has reported that CRD had held a supply contract to provide sewage sludge solids to Lafarge Canada for use as alternative fuel (AF) at its Richmond cement plant. The cement plant suspended its operations for ‘most of 2022’ and throughout the first five months of 2023. British Columbian law requires sewage sludge solids to be used in beneficial applications.

The district council of CRD says that it expects the Richmond cement plant to resume receiving deliveries of its sewage sludge solids in mid-June 2023.

Ethiopia: East Africa Holding (EAH) has set up a subsidiary, Pan Afric Energy, to pilot using the prosopis juliflora shrub as a biomass alternative fuel at its integrated Dire Dewa plant operated by its National Cement subsidiary. The US$50m project testing using the invasive species is backed for a number of different partners, including the local government and the European Union, according to the Capital newspaper. So far the initiative has reached a 5% thermal substitution rate at the Dire Dewa plant. The project is also considering using the shrub as an alternative fuel at a new cement plant being built at Lemi town, in the North Shoa zone of Amhara region. EAH has formed a joint-venture with China-based West China International Holding to build the new plant.

Ireland: A court has ruled that the Irish government need not pay legal costs for Environmental Trust Ireland president Michelle Hayes' challenge against the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in mid-2022. Hayes unsuccessfully sued the EPA for issuing Irish Cement with a licence to use alternative fuel (AF) at its Limerick cement plant in May 2021. The AF will comprise up to 90,000t/yr of waste tyres, biomass and/or mining by-products.

At the costs hearing, the court noted that Hayes had already caused the EPA to incur 'very significant' legal costs. The court said that Hayes 'sought to have the taxpayer pay even more.' It added that, as a solicitor at Hayes Solicitors Limerick, which represented her in her unsuccessful challenge, Hayes stood to effectively benefit from any recuperated costs. The court concluded "It would mean that legal practitioners like herself are paid by the taxpayer for bringing environmental litigation which is unmeritorious."

Spain: Mexico-based Cemex and its venture capital subsidiary Cemex Ventures have invested in Waste to Energy Advanced Solutions (WtEnergy), an energy startup company that has developed a process to transform solid waste into synthesis gas (Syngas) for industrial purposes.

WtEnergy converts biomass and non-recyclable waste into Syngas, which can be used in the short-term as a fossil fuel alternative or be upgraded in the medium- and long-term to gases such as biomethane or pure hydrogen. Cemex intends to incorporate this energy source into its clinker and cement manufacturing process, looking to further reduce the carbon footprint of its operations. Cemex aims to increase its fossil fuel substitution rate by 20% by 2030.

Gonzalo Galindo, the president of Cemex Ventures, said, “This investment aligns with our strategy to find innovative clean fuel and energy sources for the cement industry.” He added, “We have outlined an ambitious rollout strategy across multiple operations, starting with Spain and other European countries before expanding to other international markets.”

Germany: Zement- und Kalkwerke Otterbein plans to invest Euro10m in upgrades to its Otterbein cement plant to increase the sustainability of cement production there. The new equipment will include a hot gas filter SCR catalytic converter system. The producer says that this will install the facility as one of the lowest-CO₂ cement plants in the world. Local press has reported that, after commissioning the new system, the company plans to increase its approved substitution of biomass as fuel to 100% from 60%.

Nigeria: Dangote Cement says that it co-processed 89,000t of waste as alternative fuel (AF) in its cement production as a group in 2021. The Nigerian Guardian newspaper has reported that the source materials consisted of biomass, waste tyres, fly ash and oil-based waste.

Speaking on International Mother Earth Day on 22 April 2022, head of AF projects Peter Anagbe said that the company continues to demonstrate its commitment to sustainable waste management through its advancement of local community recycling projects.

US: Cemex USA plans to increase its rate of alternative fuel (AF) substitution at its 2.2Mt/yr Brooksville, Florida, cement plant to 30%. It will also increase its AF use at its 1Mt/yr Demopolis, Alabama, cement plant. At both plants, the new fuel mix will include biomass. The producer says that it will complete the plants’ transitions before 2023.